Signaling system for railways.



H. W. GRIFFIN. SIGNALING SYSTEM FOR RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED'SBPT. 21; 1908.

Pad tented Aug.'15, 1911.

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3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

1 H. W. GRIPFIN. SIGNALING SYSTEM FOR RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 21, 1908.

, Patented Aug. 15, 1911.

3 SHEETS-$11133! 2.

H. W. GRIFFIN. SIGNALING SYSTEM FOR RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 21, 19011.

Patented Au 15, 1911.

3 SHEETS SHEI-ET 3.

' 2; from battery a showiia tract? srAj -Es PATENT OFFIGE.

HENRY w. GRIFFIN, or NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T0 Tl-IE UNION SWITCH & SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA,

A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

' SIGNALING SYSTEM FOR RAILWAYS.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that LHENRY W. GRIFFIlY, a citizen of the. United States, reslding n the borough of Manhattan, city, co'unty, and State of New York, .have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signaling Systems for Railways, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to automatic block signaling systems for single track railways.

The object of the invent on is to prov de a system by which the position of one s1gml is absolutely dependent upon the position of the opposing signal and more specifically that one signal cannot be moved to safety position unless'the opposing slgnal is in danger position.

The system also includes means by which atrain miproaching a signal set to danger may, provided the block be clear, set such signal to safety after having first set the opposing signal to danger. r

I will describe preferred embodiments of my invention and then point out the novel features in claims.

In the accompanying drawings,-l igures 1 to 5 inclusive are diagrammatic views illustratingthe application of my invention to a single block protected at its ends by opposing signals, the parts being showirnn different positions. Fig. Q is a similar view showing the application of my inventionto a single block including a switch. Figs. 7 and '7? together form a diagfai'nmatic view illustrating the application of my invention to a plurality of blocks each of which comprises a series of insulated sectionsJFig. 7 bein a continuation of Fig 7 from the left han end.

Referring llow to Figs. 1 to 5, I have .divided into track sections l -Q, and RS, of which the block Q R is protected, at its ends by opposing signals 1 and 2. The track sections PQ,

and R S, .whieh ma y be termed preliminary sections',-are each provided'with a track battery, indicated respectively by 18 and 19 and with a track relay, indicated respectively by 17 and 11. The current for operating signal 1 is derived from battery a and that for operating signal The block Q-R is also provided with a track relay 12, which controls armatures 12- and 12 includedrespectively in the circuits for 1 and Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed September 21, 1908.

Signal 2 thetrack betweenlQ and S.

Patented Aug. 15, 1911. Serial No. 454,067.

2, and it is also provided with a track battery 20 from which the relay 12 derives current. In Fig. 1 the parts are shown in normal position-With track clear from P to S and signal 1 at safety position to permit a train to move from P toward S. Cir: cuit for signal 1 is closed from battery a by way of armatures 11, 12 circuit controller 13 of signal 2, wire 1 1, through signal 1 to wire 15 back to battery. The circuit for signal 2 from battery (1 is open at circuit controller 16 of signal 1. "If nowa train enters section.PQ relay 17 will be short circuited and armature 17 will drop away and make another break in the circuit of signal2 as shown in Fig. 2,.but this will have no eifect on either signal under exist ing circumstances. When the train passes on to block QR ,relay'12 will be short circuited and armatures 12 and. 1.2 will drop away and break the circuits of both signals. Signal 1 will then move to dan er and close its circuit controller 16, and re ay 17 will attractl'ts armature '17 thus closing the circuit for signal 2 at points whereit was previously broken. This circuit is how'-. ever still broken at'armature 12 and will remain so as long a the.train is on block Q,R as shown in. *ig. 3, so that both signals will be atdanger while a train is on said block. When. R--S, relayll .WiH/Qbe short circuited and its armature 11 will drop away and make another break in the circuit of. signal 1,

assoon'as the trainpasses off block will then be moved to safety as in- (heated in Fig. 1 and open the circuit for signal 1 at the circuit controller 13. When the train passes off section R'S the circuit for signal 1 will be again closed at arma ture 11* but will still be open at circuit controller 13 and signal 1 will remain at danger. The foregoing description'in connec- 'tion with the figures referred to clearly describes and illustrates the broad idea -involved in the invention, vizl'that a'signal cannot be moved tosafety until after the opposing signal is at danger. Suppose now a train should approach preliminary section PQ while the signals are in the positions the. train enters section shown in Fig. 4, and'that no tram were on YVhen the train enters preliminary section P- -'Q(se e"Fig.

) the circuit for signal 2 will be broken at armature 17 and signal 2 will go to dangerand close circuit controller '13, thereby clostrain should enter section R-S from S while another train is on section P-Q, the

two circuits will be opened at 11 and 17 "respectively and both signals will be at danger and neither train can enter block S hould there be a switch in the block Q'-R and the train should leave the block via such switch, see Fig. 6, and the signal circuits were as shown in Fig. 3 the result would be that as soon as the train was olf the block Q,'R, both signal circuits would close at 12 and 12*,and both signals would start to clear" and thus break circuits with the result that both would keep moving slightly down and up. It is of course necessary to prevent such action and for this purpose the modification illustrated in Fig. 6 is introduced. As'shown another relay 30 is employed which controls two armatures 30 and 30 The relay 30 is connected to the armature 12 and to the return wire 15. When therefore armature 12 is closed a circuit will be established through the relay 30 from battery a via armature 17 circuit controller 16, armature 12 through the relay 30, to wire 15 and battery. The armature 30 will thenbe attracted and engage a contact in the circuit of signal 2 and thereby close a circuit from battery a to armature 3O through signal 2 to wire 15 and battery. The armature 30*, when mag net 80 is deenergized engages a contact connected to the contact which armature 12 engages, and therefore when the circuit is closed at 12 a circuit for signal 1 will be established as follows: battery a armatures 11 12 and 30 circuit controller 13 through signal 1 to wire 15 and battery. It will be seen therefore that only one of the above circuits can be closed at the same time\ and consequently one or the other signals will be movedto safety, depending only.on the condition of relay 30. With electric semaphores this arrangement does not require an extra, relay as the regularsignal motor relay required in the line circuit can be employed.

' Referring now to Figs; 7 and 7 which show an extended application of the principlcs involvedin my invention already described in connection with Figs. 1 'to 5, it will be remembered that Fig. 7 shdws a continuation of the track, signals, circuits, etc, from the left hand endof Fig. 7. It will be observed that the track between any two signals on the same side thereof'is ditively A to O inclusive, and thesignals I which control trains running from A to O are marked respectively 1, 3, 5 and 7 while those which control trains from O to A are marked respectively 8, v6, 4 and 2. The signals 1, 3 and 5 derivetheir current respectively from batteries a a and a and signals 6 and 8 derive their currentfrom batteries a and a respectively. Signals 2 and 4 will derive their currents from batteries, not shown to theright of battery (1 Battery 41 signal, not shown, to the left of signal"8, and battery a will supply current to a signal, not shown, to the right of signal 1. Each insulated section has a battery connected to it indicated respectively by a, b, 0, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, 70, Z, m and n, and these batteries supply current. respectively, to

will supply current to a.

track'relays a", Z3, 0, d 6*, f", 9., 712i, 1?, j", v 70*, Z", m" and a", which control armatures provided no train was on the track running from Uto- A. When the train enters the section A-B .the relay a will-be short circuited and the circuits through signals 1 and 4 will be broken and the signal '1 will goto danger and close the circuit controller 1 which is included inthe circuit of signal 4: and whichfpreviously was the break in saidflcircuit. 'As the train progresses the relays b fi lcjf d" and e" will be successively short circuited and causebreaks in the circuits of signals 1 and 4 so that both will re- I main at danger, while the relays to the rear of the train will successively be energized and close the two circuits at those points. When the train passes oif'sect-ion F-E, the relay e will be energized and close the circuits for signals 1 and-t and the latter will be moved to safety position and thereby open its circuit controller 4? which is included in the circuit of, signal 1 and the latter will -thus remain. at danger. In the same way, as the train. progresses, signals .3 and 5 will be set to danger and signals 6 and 8 will be set to safety, and before signal 8 is moved 'to safety, signal 7 will have movedto danger. Suppose now, with the signals set as indicated, a train -entcrs section ON traveling toward A and there is a train on the track between signals 8 and 5. Under such conditions relay W will be short circuited and the'circuits through signals 7 and 5 broken thereby putting both of these signals to danger and closing circuit controllers 7 and 5* the latter of which is in the circuit of signal 8 and, the latter circuit having been otherwise closed, the signal 8 will then be'moved to safety and the train can cannot, however, be moved to safety because its'circuit will be broken by the train between signals 3 and "5 at either one or the other of the relays e f, g", or 72.", and con- 5 sequently one train cannot, without disregar-ding signals,

the other cannot move beyond signal 6 and one or the other will have to be sidetracked to permit the other train to pass. It will 10 thus be seen that approaching'trains will cause opposing adjacent signals to both indicate'danger. j Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a railway signaling system, the combination of a block sect-ion, a. track circuit for the block section, a railway signal'lo cated at each end of the block section for governing the passage of cars or trains in opposite directions through the block sec-.

tion,-a signal circuit for each signal, each of which signal "circuits is cont-rolled by the said track circuit, and circuit controllers,

one operated by each signal and includedin the circuit for the signal at the opposite end of the block section.

2. In arailway signaling system, the combination of a block section, a traclrcircilit for said block section comprising a source of current and a relay, a railway signal located at each .end of said block section to govern .the passage of cars or trains in opposite directions through said block section, a signal circuit for each railway signal each of which signal circuits is controlled by the relay of the block section, and circuit controllei's, one operated by each signal and included in the circuit for the signal at the opposite end of the block section.

3. In a railway signaling system, the COITI- hination of a blocksection, a track circuit for said block section comprising a source of current and a relay, a preliminary section extending in one direction from the block section, a track circuit for the preliminary section including'a-source of current and a relay, a railway signal located at each end of the block section for governing the passage of-carsor trains in opposite directions through the block section, a signal circuit for each of said railway signals, each of which signal circuits iscontrolled by 'the relay for the block section and one of which signal circuits is controlled'also by the relay for the preliminary section, and circuit controllers', one operated by each signal and included in the circuit for the signal at the opposite end of the block section. t.

\ 4. In a railway signaling system, the comhination of blocksection, a track circuit for said block section comprising a source of. current and a relay, a preliminary'section extending in one direction from theblock section, a track circuit for the preliminary section includinga source of current and a sage of cars or trains move beyond signal 5 and and circuit controllers,

' section nal' circuit for each track circuits for the block a railway signal located at each end block section for governing thepasin opposite directionsthrough the block section, a signal-circuit relay, of the for each of said'signals, each of which Slg-" nal circuits is controlled by the relay for the block section, the circuit'for the signal at the opposlteend of the block section from the preliminary section being controlled also by the relay for the preliminary section,

one operated by .each

signal and included in the circuit for the signalat the opposite end of the block section. i

5. Ina railway signaling system, the com- 4 bination-of a block section, a track circuit for the block section comprising a source of current and a relay, a prel minary section extending in each direction from the block a track circuit tor each preliminary each of which-includesa source of current and a relay, a railway signal located section,

at each end of the block. section for govern-v ing the passageof cars or trains in opposite directions through the block section, a sigof saidsignals, each of which signal circuits is controlled by the relay for the block section, the circuit for each signal being controlled also by the relay for the preliminary section extending from the end of the block section opposite to such signal.

6. In agrailwa-y 'signalingsystem, the combination of a block section, for the block section comprising a source of current and a relay, a preliminary section extending ineach direction from the block section, a track circuit for each p relim'inary section each of which includes it source of current and a relay, a railway signal located at each end of the block section for governing the passage of cars or trains in opposite directions through v.the block section, a signal circuit for each of said signals,

each of which signal circuits is controlled by the relay. for the block section, the circuit relay -for the rom the end of the block section opposite t'o such signal, and circuit controllers, one

each of which includes a source of current.

and a relay, a railway signal located at each end of the block section for governing the passage of cars or trains in opposite directions through the block section, a signal circuit for-each of said signals, each of which a track circuit for each signal being controlled also by the I preliminary section extending &

signal circuits'is controlled by the relay for each otthe track circuits in the block section, the circuit foreach signal being controlled also by the relay for the preliminary section extending from the end of the block section opposite to such signal.

8. In a railway signaling system, the combination of a block section, a plurality of track c'ircuits'for the block section each of which comprises a source of current andarelay, a preliminary section extending in each track circuits comprises a source of current lay for each of the track circuits in the block section through which the signal governs,

direction from. the bloclrsection, a track circuit for each preliminary section each of which includes a source of current and a relay, a railway signal located at each end of thevblock section for governing the passage of cars or trains in opposite directions through the block section, a signal circuit for each of said signals, each of which signal circuitsis controlled by the relay for each of the track circuits in the block sec-.

tion, the 'circuitjfor each signal being controlled also by the relay for the preliminary section extending from the end of the block section opposite to such signal, and circuit:

controllers, one operated by each signal and included in the circuit for the signal 'at the opposite end of the block section. v

9. In a railway signaling system a plurality of block sections, a plurality of track circuits for each block section, each of which tratiic, the circuit for each signal being conalso by the relay for the preliminary tending from the end of such ion opposite to such signal, and

ollers, one operated by each sigi'cluaed in the circuit for the sig- .oe opposite end of the block section.

10. In a railway signaling. system, the combination of a block section, a track circuit for the block section, a railwaysignal located at each end of the block section for governing the passage of cars or trains in opposite directions through the block section, a signal circuit for each of said signals each of which signal circuits is controlled by the track circuit, and a circuit controller operated byone of said signals and included in the circuit for the'other of said signals.

11. In a railway signaling system, a p1urality of track circuits each comprlsing a source of curent anda relay, a plurality of block sections, each comprising one or more of said: track circuits, a railway signal located at eachend of each block section for governing the passage of cars or trains in opposite directions through the block section, a signal circuit for each of said signals, each of which signal circuits is controlled by the relay for each of the track circuits included in the block section, and also by the relay of the track circuit/ extending from the end of the block sect-ion opposite to such signal.

12. In a railway signaling system, a plurality of track circuits each comprlsing a,

source of current and a relay, a plurality of block sections, each comprising one or more of said trackvcircuits, a railway signal 10- cated at each end of each block section for governing the passage of cars or trains in opposite directions through the block sectlon',

a signal circuit for each of'said signals, each of which signal circuits is controlled by the relay for each of the track circuits included in the'block section, and also by the relay of the track circuitextending from the end of the block section opposite to such signal, and circuit controllers, one operated by each signal and included in the circuit for the signal at the opposite end of the block section. v

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subs rihed witnesses.

Witnesses:

M. S. KIRTLAND, W. F. WOOD.

HENRY w. GRIFFIN. a 

